Marriage is Murder

"IF they really want to learn to be more sophisticated they should both take some dance classes for starters--ballroom dancing, ballet. They should learn to appreciate art and fine literature and opera."

"Those two don't have 600 years to learn all that," Khaat said.

"That could be arranged," Escobar said. "On the other hand, someone would have to put up with them for a few centuries until they learned how to be smooth. Truth be told, though, I learned that while I was still human. My father insisted on it. I learned all those things, and fencing, and riding, and..."

"And you had a woman you loved once," she said.

"No," he replied, standing and picking up Abbey to hold her. He admired how much like her mother the toddler already looked. The child was fascinated with the jeweled tie tack he wore on his silk ascot.

"Actually, I didn't," Escobar added. "Not then. My mother was a gorgeous woman, and a lady of royal blood. My father was an aristocrat from old money even then. I simply saw how he treated her in order to make her happy."

"And you learned to seduce but you hever really got involved."

"More or less," he said.

"So they'd have to be womanizers in order to polish off the rough edges," she said, slightly amused.

"Precisely," Marcus replied. Robert swirled the new ingredient into the bottle and handed it to Escobar. Escobar sniffed it and tasted a drop on his fingertip.

"Much better," he said. "That should do nicely now. Thank you." Robert nodded.

"This magic?" Abbey asked Escobar, still fiddling with his tie tack.

"No," he replied. "Its just very old."

"Like you?" she asked.

"Older than me," he replied.

"How long you stay?" she asked.

"Until the doggie is gone," he said.

"He always come back," she sighed. "I no like him. He bad. He smell bad."

"I know," he said. "But you're safe in the house. He won't get in here. We won't let him."

"I kill him if he come in," she said.

"That's a grownup job," he said. "You let us do that." He looked at the others. "You really shouldn't teach her those things."

"There has been talk of a dance in Hogsmeade for Halloween," Marcus said. "Not that you'll be ready for that."

Robert and Escobar both looked up sharply, frowning.

"What did I say?" he frowned.

"You haven't looked at a calendar," Escobar said. "We will be at a full moon that week. Having a large scale celebration in a small village like that will be extraordinarily dangerous."

Marcus frowned. He hadn't noticed that. "And Hogsmeade would be a very easy location to contain. They could corral a large number of victims into a small area."

"It would be a ready made massacre, if they wanted," Khaat nodded looking at her father. He nodded.

"And with both of you on medical leave, there is nothing any of us can do to stop them," Marcus sighed. "I'm more concerned, as I think about it, that, the pack doesn't divide and sent a band here, hoping we'll not consider that they would come while the pickings are so easy elsewhere."

"Another good thought," Escobar said.

Robert nodded. He understood Jack's plan. He didn't know if the pack would come back here or not but he wasn't going to wait. He wanted Brian home.

"I can check the grounds quicker from the air," Escobar said. He handed Abbey to Cassidy as Robert left to go find Kate. Escobar left to go fly over the grounds in bat form.

"You've been visiting long enough," Marcus told Khaat. "You really do need to rest." She nodded, closing her eyes. She didn't say a word. He understood her and understood what he would be thinking and wanting to do if he had been in her place right now. There were a lot of plans that he could envision himself wanting to try. He just had no intention of letting her try any of them.

When Khaat was alone with Marcus, Marcus looked at her and said quietly. "I know exactly what I'd be doing if I were you," he said.

"You have to let me try," she said very softly, not denying it.

"No. I don't," he said. "Do you have any idea how serious your injuries are?"

"Yes," she said. "I do. The smell of the blood will be irresistible to him. It might be a way to catch him."

"I thought I taught you better than this," Remus's portrait piped up. She looked up at him.

"I thought I taught you to at least make it a good fight," he said. "At this rate, why don't you just go lay down in front of the nightbus and let it back over you? It will do about as much good."

"What?" she frowned.

"If you're going to offer yourself as bait, then at least wait til you can mount a decent offense. It sounds like your army really sucks right now. If you want to do this right, then lay low, protect yourselves and simply buy some time," he said.

Meanwhile, Abbey felt momentarily secure, at least, with Cassidy. She hadn't thought about where she wanted to sleep. She had felt safe with Papa and she had been safe with Lee. She just didn't want to be alone. When Cassidy asked her where she wanted to sleep, she said, "I no know. Away from doggies."

"You can have a cookie if you want one. They're in the jar, but you'll miss the pot roast for dinner. It's almost ready," Angus replied to Jack.

Abbey nodded. She liked books. All kinds of books--especially books with pretty pictures. And if anybody would read to her, that always captivated her attention.

"I miss Papa reading to me," she said softly to Cassidy. "I think he miss it too. Unca Lee readed to me last night. He reads good."

Marcus didn't particularly like Khaat's restlessness. He figured perhaps she needed a bit more pain potion. Her wounds were severe enough he was surprised they had anything that would begin to cut the pain at all. He went into the bathroom to get a potions glass.

While he was gone, she tossed back the covers and got up. The pain was so sharp that it took her breath away. Her knees buckled. Marcus came back out of the bathroom, and when he saw her, he dropped the potions glass to catch her before she fell.

"Are you out of your mind?" he was irked with her, frightened for her. "Where are you trying to go?"

"I am the best bait you've got," she said, out of breath from trying to get up.

"Not today," he said firmly. He simply picked her up and put her back in bed. "I normally let you do whatever you want. Not today. Not on my watch. We have two functioning healers. One who needs some sleep, and the other who is protecting your children. How crazy do you intend to make them?"

"I don't," she said, as he covered her.

"Breathe," he told her.

"We can't let James kill all those people! I have a responsibility!" she said.

"Oh, right. And it rest solely on you, does it?" he was sarcastic now.

"I thought you got this! I thought..."

"I do. That's why I knew you'd have to try this at least once. Now that you have, lets consider this done so you can behave yourself," he said.